On April 27, 2022, the European Commission published a proposal for a Directive on protection against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). SLAPPs are court proceedings initiated against persons who engage in public participation on matter of public interest to deter them by intimidating them and draining their resources. Such lawsuits are often initiated by powerful entities such as lobby groups, corporations, and state organs, and they often involve an imbalance of power – financial or political – between the claimant and the defendant. SLAPPs are typically disguised as civil or criminal claims such as defamation and constitute a threat to the right to freedom of expression and information.
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Calling for the boycott of Israeli products falls within freedom expression says the ECtHR
On June 11, 2020, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) held that France violated Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention in the Baldassi and Others v. France case (in French) by convicting activists with criminal charges for incitement to economic discrimination, on account of their participation in actions aimed at boycotting products imported from Israel as part of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
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